Making Meal Times Easy

So you've decided to make some healthy changes. You've decided to eat more vegetables and less simple carbs, more from the earth and less from a packet. That's fantastic!! and I'm sure you'll agree the first week is fun and exciting as you realise this new way of eating makes you feel amazing! Then reality sets in. The thought of eating eggs for breakfast once more makes you cringe. The thought of cooking 2-3 separate meals for yourself and your family seems like a big task for little reward and the thought of prepping your lunch for the next day is too much of a hassle to deal with.

These are common struggles which are often felt shortly after the excitement of making healthy changes wears off. In my blog today, I want to give you some tips that will help you to overcome these common problems so that your new way of eating can become a permanent change.

1. Plan your week in advance.

​Plan your meals (and your families meals) for the week ahead. This completely takes the stress out of deciding what to cook after a long day at work. This also helps you to ensure you have all the ingredients you need to make a healthy, satisfying meal. The big bonus of planning your week ahead is that you will know exactly what you need to buy for the week. This reduces food wastage and will also help you save $$.

The first time you attempt to plan your week in advance may be daunting, but I am here to help! During your consultations I can help you come up with some easy, healthy meals that will please the whole family! You can also download a meal planner below if you want to get started today!

2. Meal Prep.

You've planned your week and everything is going great, then something happens! You have to work late, you have a child who has come down with a cold, you have unexpected visitors (the list goes on!)
So what do you do?? Having meals prepared in advance that you can store in the freezer and quickly defrost is the easiest way to over come this problem. Things don't always go to plan and this is quite often when take-away or other unhealthy options creep in.

Spend a small amount of time each week making some 'back-up' meals that can be used when needed. 'Back-up' meals are also great if you want to have a night off cooking or if you didn't have time to prepare your lunch. You can just simply grab something out of the freezer and go!

3. Make a little extra.

This tip is similar to tip #2. Making extra food doesn't mean you get to go back for seconds, it means you have leftovers to take for a healthy lunch or something to eat for dinner the next day. You can also freeze your extras and use them when things don't go according to plan!

​4. Be efficient.
 
Cooking 2-3 different meals every night to please everyone gets old pretty quickly. Low-carb and ketogenic diets are not what I would recommend for growing children/healthy teens and those with physically demanding jobs. So, how can you cater for the needs of others without compromising your own needs? There are a few easy-to-make, flexible meals that are perfect for this scenario, they are listed below:

The list goes on and there are also several low-carb meals that I can suggest that the whole family will love!

5. Have fun.

This is probably the most important tip! Without fun, without having the occasional treat, your new way of eating wont last. Meal times should be enjoyable and guilt free no matter what you choose to eat.

I do not advocate 'everything in moderation' but what I do believe in is having fun. If this means enjoying dessert at a birthday party or having a couple of drinks for a special occasion, then go for it! 

If you would like some guidance on how to make long lasting, healthy changes, contact me any time!

Christina

​0411-982-105 [email protected]

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